8x Pro Bowler Enthusiastic about Returning to Vikings
Twice in two days, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson has expressed his desire for a third adventure with the franchise.
Peterson joined the Vikings during the 2021 offseason on a one-year contract and fired up another similar deal last offseason. And left up to him, Peterson is on board with a second sequel.
8x Pro Bowler Enthusiastic about Returning to Vikings
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The soon-to-be 33-year-old discussed his future Thursday on the podcast All Things Covered, a show he hosts with his cousin Bryant McFadden, a former NFL cornerback, “I would love to be there in that purple and gold again and give it a run again just because I love the community there. I love the organization. I love the new regime that [was] brought into that building, the trainers, the strength and conditioning staff. It’s just amazing. I truly believe it felt like home for me. I felt like it was a place that I belonged. But we all know it’s a business.”
“It was very disappointing to end the season in the Bank the way we did, to have so much high hopes and aspirations for the team, but the good part about all of it is that I had an opportunity to continue to grow some great relationships that got better from the year previously,” Peterson added.
The eight-time Pro Bowler played all 17 games for the Vikings in 2022, participated on 95% of all defensive snaps, and, quite frankly, was phenomenal for most of the season. His 77.8 Pro Football Focus grade ranked 12th leaguewide among all cornerbacks — a total resurgence from his 63.0 score in 2021 or 55.2 from 2020.
Meanwhile, the Vikings fired Peterson’s boss Ed Donatell Thursday, so if Peterson does return, the defensive storefront will look new. Minnesota’s defense ranked 27th in the NFL per defensive DVOA and singlehandedly caused the premature playoff exit.
And the day after Donatell’s exit, Peterson reaffirmed his plans to stay with the Vikings, telling CBS Sports, “I love it there,” in reference to Minneapolis and the Vikings organization.
Peterson stated last year that he planned to play three more seasons in the NFL, which means two should be left on the menu if his original plan is intact. The future Hall of Famer also mentioned to CBS Sports that he had a “great exit meeting” with Vikings bossman Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Minnesota is currently strapped for cap space but will likely achieve financial navigability by restructuring veteran contracts or outright releasing some expensive players.
Peterson logged 5 interceptions in 2022, his personal best since 2012. In addition to Peterson, Adofo-Mensah has a free-agent decision to make on cornerback Duke Shelley, who performed marvelously — out of nowhere — in 2022.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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